Galapagos Island Hopping on a Budget

Day 1: Your tour starts with your arrival at Baltra Airport. From here, your English-speaking guide will help you with the transfer process to Isabela Island; remember that it will be a long first day. First, you will get a short stop at the impressive Twin Pit Craters, a geological formation made of volcanic material, surrounded by different kinds of vegetation, such as orchids, Scalesia trees, and ferns. After the visit, you will continue to Puerto Ayora; lunch will be served at a local restaurant before taking your 3hrs. public speed boat ride to Isabela island.  Once you arrive, continue to settle in at your hotel. Afternoon at leisure.

Day 3: After breakfast, we will visit the Isabela Island Breeding Center. Here, we will learn more about the Galapagos tortoise breeding program and the efforts to preserve these gentle giants. We will continue our visit at the Wall of Tears, where inmates that were banished from the mainland and relocated on Isabela were forced to build this infamous wall. You will be astonished by the size of the rocks and the conditions in which they were forced to work. Afterwards, we will visit some small lava tunnels that are close by, and then a small lake on the island, visited by flamingoes. We will return to the lodge for lunch.

In the afternoon we will visit Tintoreras Islet. The name comes from the white-tipped reef shark, known as tintorera in Spanish. At this islet, Galapagos penguins often play in the shallows, so take this chance to snorkel alongside colorful tropical fish and white-tipped sharks. After this visit we will return to the hotel for a night of relaxation.

Day 4: Early in the morning, we will be boarding a speedboat to Santa Cruz. This is public shared transportation that will take us to Santa Cruz, from which point you can take your flight back to the continental mainland.

Day 1: Your tour starts with your arrival at Baltra Airport. From here, your English-speaking guide will help you with the transfer process to Isabela Island; remember that it will be a long first day. First, you will get a short stop at the impressive Twin Pit Craters, a geological formation made of volcanic material, surrounded by different kinds of vegetation, such as orchids, Scalesia trees, and ferns. After the visit, you will continue to Puerto Ayora; lunch will be served at a local restaurant before taking your 3hrs. Public speed boat ride to Isabela island.  Once you arrive, continue to settle in at your hotel. Afternoon at leisure.

Day 2: Day two starts after your early morning breakfast. The day will be dedicated to exploring the world’s second-largest volcanic crater at the Sierra Negra Volcano. Just a 13-mile drive from Puerto Villamil, you will witness its gargantuan size, 6 miles in diameter and 300 feet deep. After hiking around and taking in the view, we will continue to our next volcano – Volcan Chico, an active volcano.

We will provide a boxed lunch.

After your excursion to the volcanoes, In the afternoon will transfer you directly to the port, where the instructor will give you instructions and recommendations before starting the activity, which consists of a walk through the bay where you can see the surroundings of the Tintoreras islet here you will have high chances to spot: Blue-footed boobies, penguins, pelicans, and other types of birds that are resting on the rocks. Once the bird watching is done, the snorkeling activity will begin; here, you will be able to swim with sea turtles and whitefin sea sharks called Tintoreras; it is also possible to see sea lions and the variety of colorful fish that inhabit the area; all kayaking activity lasts approximately 2 hours, after Having completed the tour, the car will take you from the port to your respective hotel.

Day 3: Take a journey into Isabela Island’s dark history as a penal colony as you visit “The Wall of Tears.” After breakfast, you will see where prisoners in the mid-20th century slaved to build this wall of heavy lava rock in harsh conditions. We will also visit the tortoise breeding center, a lava tunnel, and another flamingo lagoon.

After lunch, the afternoon will offer you a chance to head to “Las Tintoreras,” an area famous for its calm, clear waters, where colonies of white-tipped reef sharks are known to rest. This is also an excellent spot to see penguins, sea lions, and the famous sea-going marine iguana. If you choose to snorkel, keep your eyes open for sharks and the rainbow of tropical fish.

Day 4: Early in the morning we will board the speedboat to Santa Cruz Island. It’s a public service, meaning that it will be a shared transfer. Once on Santa Cruz, a guide from the National Park will be waiting for you. He will accompany you to breakfast and then to the Charles Darwin Research Station. Here you will be able to see the giant tortoises living in captivity as well as the artificial breeding process that is used in order to preserve this species.

Later on, we will visit the highlands of Santa Cruz, an ecosystem very different from the rest of the Island; the highlands are the natural habitat of the giant tortoises, so here you will be able to see them wandering freely in the muddy cloud forest environment. After the visit, you will return to your hotel where you will have dinner and spend the night.

Day 5: On the last day, you will be transferred back to Baltra Island for your flight to the mainland.

Day 1: Your tour starts with your arrival at Baltra Airport. From here, your English-speaking guide will help you with the transfer process to Isabela Island; remember that it will be a long first day. First, you will get a short stop at the impressive Twin Pit Craters, a geological formation made of volcanic material, surrounded by different kinds of vegetation, such as orchids, Scalesia trees, and ferns. After the visit, you will continue to Puerto Ayora; lunch will be served at a local restaurant before taking your 3hrs. public speed boat ride to Isabela island.  Once you arrive, continue to settle in at your hotel. Afternoon at leisure

Day 2: Day two starts after your early morning breakfast. The day will be dedicated to exploring the world’s second-largest volcanic crater at the Sierra Negra Volcano. Just a 13-mile drive from Puerto Villamil, you will witness its gargantuan size, 6 miles in diameter and 300 feet deep. After hiking around and taking in the view, we will continue to our next volcano – Volcan Chico, an active volcano.

We will provide a boxed lunch.

After your excursion to the volcanoes, In the afternoon will transfer you directly to the port, where the instructor will give you instructions and recommendations before starting the activity, which consists of a walk through the bay where you can see the surroundings of the Tintoreras islet here you will have high chances to spot: Blue-footed boobies, penguins, pelicans, and other types of birds that are resting on the rocks. Once the bird watching is done, the snorkeling activity will begin; here, you will be able to swim with sea turtles and whitefin sea sharks called Tintoreras; it is also possible to see sea lions and the variety of colorful fish that inhabit the area; all kayaking activity lasts approximately 2 hours, after Having completed the tour, the car will take you from the port to your respective hotel.

Day 3: After breakfast, we will visit the Isabela Breeding Center, where giant tortoises are nurtured until they can live independently in the wild. Afterward, we will take a journey into Isabela Island’s dark history as a penal colony as you visit “The Wall of Tears.” After breakfast, you will see the site where prisoners in the mid-20th century slaved to build this wall of heavy lava rock in harsh conditions.

Later, we will have lunch and then visit the islet called Tintoreras; this name is due to the Galapagos reef shark (in Spanish, “tintorera”) that dwells in these waters. You can snorkel in the tranquil waters and swim alongside colorful tropical fish. You might even get an up-close look at the Galapagos Penguin.

Day 4: After breakfast at the hotel, we will explore the shores of Puerto Villamil in kayaks. We might have the opportunity to see the Galapagos penguin, marine iguanas, and other animals that live close to the shores of Isabela. Lunch at a local restaurant.  Afternoon at leisure, to enjoy the pristine beach on your own.

Day 5: Early in the morning, we will take the public speed boat to Santa Cruz. This is a shared transfer that will take us to our next adventure. Upon arrival, your naturalist guide will take you to the Charles Darwin Research Station, where you will learn more about the conservation projects undertaken by the Station and their efforts to preserve this natural paradise. After lunch we will visit the highlands; just like on Isabela, giant tortoises call this cloud forest home as well. You will be provided with rubber boots in order to walk in the muddy terrain of the highlands while you look at the giant Galapagos tortoises.

Day 6: On the last day, you will be transferred back to Baltra Island for your flight to the mainland.